Sample is nearly finished

I have 2 sides of the binding to whipstich down tonight and then I take it to Delphine's Quilt shop. I am excited and nervous. I am placing the long arm business's name on it for advertising as well as my name for piecing it. I am pleased with how it turned out. Final photo will be when it is hanging in the shop.

PS Yes I am a corner "rounder" not a miter type person.

This turned out very well and it was a fun quilt to do. It looks just like the picture in the magazine that had the pattern and the kit was fun. I have always had a fear of kits because  I was concerned they would be short of fabric. This one was one large square short but to be safe I bought a few extra fat quarters when they were on sale. This will be fun to experiment on  when it is its turn on the long arm machine.

Wednesday is gym day. I am ready I have stalled out on my weight loss this week. I need to get a move on and watch those calories.

DS got his driver's permit yesterday. He drove me around for a half hour. He is a good driver. I have a feeling he will  be wanting to drive a ton this week. He drove DH around last night on errands. Gotta get the driving in while the weather is good so a kid has experience under their belt before the gales of November come.

Latest Quilt

This quilt is fast and easy. I started it Saturday night and have the top nearly done. It was a kit quilt and the pattern in a Fons and Porter magazine. I have never bought a kit before and can see the addiction for some. It is like Moda precuts for me. Sometimes you just need a easy breezy project. I love teal and brown. After this top I need to get working on bindings. And table runners for the craft sale.

I went for a nature walk last evening in the woods. I haven't gone to the State Forest to walk in years. It was fun and a good workout. A nice change from the treadmill. The weather was perfect. My DH and I have decided that to keep up with the weight loss and exercise you have to change it up on the weekends. I have lost 35, which I can say is great but a good start on my journey.

We have a  couple of weeks of quiet before the push of activities that end summer. We have the 100th family reuion of my Mom's side in Aug. The Renisannce Festival. A grad/send off party for my nephew. School clothes shopping. Then poof, September will be here. That is a sobering thought, I think I will just not think about that. Summer is really short here.

Sunday

For the stashbusting report: I used up 1 yard of fabric making half triangle squares for the quilt shop exchange. It is going to be fun. I have until September to turn them in so I want to make a ton. I may even buy more papers. I purchased backing for the sample quilt so that will be loaded on the frame today.

The tote is dwindling and I have about 1 1/4 full. Plus a shoe box of precuts that I am saving for inspiration. I am really getting down to just little pieces again. I have to pitch not useable fabrics soon. I am not into crumbs and any small pieces that are Civil War go into my Civil War diary Quilt stash. That will resume in the winter.

Yesterday was a rainy stay at home and poke around the house day. I was digging in my orphan block pile and realized there was enough to put together a crazy looking quilt. It has test blocks from when I was first learning to quilt, a calendar quilt exchange with my friends, blocks from a pineapple class and other goodies found in the stack. I now have only one orphan block. And a quilt full of memories to load on the frame when I have a lull in the action.

Borders are on

I added the striped borders just like the written directions in the pattern, for more about this dilemma it is in the previous post.

I really like the whole fabric line in this collection. I am glad I was given the opportunity by the quilt shop to make this sample. It was very different from anything I have made before. Now to get it to the studio and quilt it this weekend. I need to buy batting and backing fabric first.

I quilted a top that Mom had completed as a practice quilt. It is posted on Finished Stitches. I really felt good about the pattern and the machine hummed along perfectly. I think our bobbin case replacement is great. The original one had issues and I need to try to get it fixed or replaced.

Design Wall and coffee time

Some mornings, the coffee tastes so good. Today is that day, it has just the right amount of cream and sugar to be perfect. Hmmmm.....

Here is my weekend worth of work. I am making a sample for the quilt shop. She chose the pattern and the fabric line for me and sent me home with the kit. I add batting and backing to finish on my long arm. Then after a few months of display it is mine, all mine. Insert goofy laugh of mad scientist type.

Do you remember my dislike for patterns? Well, I do not like following them. However, I am trying to help promote not only the fabric line but this pattern for sale. If you wrote this pattern, listen to my little pet peeve. This has caused my undue stress. The photo of the pattern on the cover is not what is written in the direction. I am not sure what to do, so I am calling the quilt shop. Look at the border photo. Look at the pattern. The pattern calls for butt joints on the border. The photo the border is mitered. I would choose a third option because the butt joints aren't my fav. BUT I don't know if a small deviation is allowed under the "rules" of making a sample. I will find out asap. What would you do? Grrr, pet peeves.

Here are the quilted 60 degree triangle table runners/toppers I quilted on my little machine. I am feeling like a quilting animal!!

By the way I am still knitting a prayer shawl a row or three a day. I still have 2 UFO crochet projects out there. AND a yo-yo table runner nearly finished but still a UFO. I feel some finishes coming on plus I need to work on BIG FAT BINDING MOUNTAIN that is growing with projects that need hand stitches on the bindings. I gotta get to work this morning then to work on this stuff!!

Our little town festival was this past week. The image above is the annual pin you can buy for free food and events. The traffic is detoured in front of my house so it is inconvenient to get in and out of the drive way. I live a block off the main street and festival. There was music and I enjoyed- a Journey tribute band, Annabelle Road (country) and a Bob Seger tribute band. The last band was my favorite. They were the best and sounded just like they should. Saw a few people I see only once a year, like high school classmates. The craft booths were small and not my taste. It was a nice festival but I didn't get way into it this year.

I had a big revelation this week. I realized my age and how old I will be when my youngest graduates from High school and then college. I was a bit upset. Then I went to the eye doctor and he told me I need bifocals. And my way cool little glasses won't work for the new bifocals so I had to order new ones. Sigh, I will have to adjust won't I?!!

I have done tons of sewing. I quilted several table runners and place mat sized quilts. I am making a sample for the quilt shop and I have the top over halfway done. I have used up several yards of fabric and I have given Mom several yards of Christmas fabric. The total of my fabric stash is about 1 1/2 totes. I also have a stash of one tote filled with fabric given to me. I really need to sort it all out.

Making Progress!

I put the final border on this 54-40 or fight. It was not my original design but I love it. I am going to quilt it up in the next month. I need to think about the quilt stitch. Any ideas?

I quiled up a couple of table topper/placemat sized projects and I quilted Mom's little quilt. Check it out on Finished Stitches. I think I have 6 stitches down and I need to make a sample for the quilt shop to really start to promote the longarm business we are starting. I think I am ready to go beyond our friends.

Design Wall

I joined an exchange at the local quilt shop. You buy the paper in the photo for 2 1/2 in squares. You turn them in unpressed with papers on. As many as you turn in, you get back in the fall when they divide the squares up. It is easy. I have 13 sheets of paper that make 28 squares.I made three yesterday afternoon.  Mom and I divided a pack of paper up. It will be a true scrap quilt. Of course there is a book to buy for ideas but one idea was a tree of life quilt that I like. Let's see what EQ6 can offer me for pattern idea.

I have quilted 3 little table runners this weekend for the craft sale. I decided I have about 12 or so big and little items that need to be bound so I started on that too.

I decided to join the guild in August. So I spent time decided what quilt to enter in the October quilt show. I will run my ideas by the committee so I will let you know. Lots of thinking this weekend, huh?

DS started drivers training and already is behind the wheel. I found I need to apply for replacement birth certificate and stuff. Ugh those papers are hard for me to keep track of. I did find a copy but not the original/official copy. I found his immunization record but no social security card. Too many moves!!!

Have a great Monday. See what every one else is doing a http://www.patchworktimes.com/.

Here is a quilt that my mother made the blocks and didn't care for it. I joined them together. She has another set of 15 in similar colors that she is joining together. It will be quilted and up for sale at the craft show. I like it and think it will sell first!

I went to my first meeting of the quilt guild. I think I will join. I want to get to know more quilters so I will start going to the sit and sew before the meeting. There are other times for sewing but it is when I work. Dang, job! They asked if mom and I were joining that night and I said, "joining at the first meeting is like kissing on the first date!" They all laughed. I am not a big joiner but I think I will even though it is a little stuffy for me!

The fourth was a great day, fireworks were fab in Boyne City and people so nice there.

I used the fabric bought at the store with 10,000 bolts of fabric for the border, it was the perfect color and just the right amount!

I joined this top together and have the border picked out and ready to cut.

After eating a fab bbq brisket my husband made in the smoker all day, we went to a family member's deer preserve after supper. And here is one we caught to photograph. The bucks were too fast.

Wow July 4th is here

We had a great time yesterday shopping. We found great deals at sidewalk sales. My husband needed something to wear as all of his clothes are too big after his 75 pound weight loss. My clothes are a little big so I was able to get a size smaller too. Yeah for healthy  living. BUT THEN We ate at a Polish restaurant for lunch. It was all home made and then a very nice steak for dinner. OK now back to really exercising and eating healthy today. Jokes were told, stories remembered and food shared.

I did buy 1 1/2 yard of fabric at a shop with 10,000 bolts of fabric. Really it did the billboard said so! Hm mm, I could go a little off the deep end there but I behaved!! I am trying to use up and buy only when I am going to use the fabrics.

I was given an opportunity to make a quilt as a sample for a new line of fabric at the local shop and I am so excited. Mom and I are going to make it all from start to finish and we get to keep it. We will need to make one Mom likes next time ;). More on that later. I have 2 weeks to get it done!!!!!!!

I am really feeling good about the long arm quilting and we are doing about 1 quilt a month and I see about 2 quilts a month coming our way. I have several stitches down and working on a vine and leaf, flowers and mod stippling. I know it will just explode with business soon and I am now really trying to learn all I can to prepare for that day.

So where are the pictures? I will be adding new ones daily this week. I promise!